Los Angeles Unified School District: 80,000 students, 14.3 percent, chronically absent

 Research shows that students who attend school more often do better in school and students who are chronically absent, meaning they miss at least 15 days of school in a year, fall behind. 

Reducing absenteeism is a significant challenge for which there are no simple solutions. Many LAUSD students and their families face real and significant barriers which prevent students from making it to school including inadequate transportation, health issues, and other conditions related to living near or below the poverty line. 

According to a new report, in School Year 2016–2017 (SY16-17), over 80,000 LAUSD students, 14.3 percent, were chronically absent. That percentage increases to almost one-third of LAUSD students missing significant amounts of school if one adds the 17.9 percent of students who missed 8-14 days. 

The financial impact of student absence is significant as well. The vast majority of revenue the District receives is tied to daily student attendance. For SY16-17, the District’s budget target for chronically absent students was 11% and the impact of not achieving this target was approximately $20 million in foregone revenue. Further, if every child in LAUSD attended one more day of school, the District would have approximately $30 million more to invest in the classroom.